In Fate's Hands
by WarningSign
Summary: ON HOLD...DAMN COLLEGE  Sarah is wished away,and ends up in the Goblin Kingdom once more.  As if Jareth didn't have enough problems, now he has to watch over the scarred mortal and try to avert war at the same time.  Whatever will the Goblin King do? R&R!
1. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMER **

Not mine! But wouldn't it be cool if they were? evil laugh

**IN FATE'S HANDS**

**CHAPTER 1**

"Fucking bitch!" A tall and very angry looking man roared at the top of his lungs. Before him , a young woman cowered as though he were the devil himself. If one looked hard enough, they could tell that she would be a very pretty and attractive woman, if it weren't for the bruises that spotted her face, neck and arms. She quivered silently as the terrifying man went on a verbal rampage.

"Damn you, you fucking little whore! I told you that I expected dinner to be on the table by the time I got home! Where is it, bitch?"

"I—I didn't— "

"Didn't even bother to make it, did you? You've been home all fucking day and it was too much fucking trouble to throw a damn meatloaf in the oven? What the hell have you been doing all day, then?"

"I—"

"You what? I swear to God that if you don't give me the best fucking excuse in the world, you won't fucking live long enough to regret it, do you hear me?" The man grabbed her by the throat and shoved her against the wall, putting his face within inches of hers. She could smell so much alcohol on his breath that it almost made her gag.

"Well?! I said, do you hear me, little girl!"

"Yes! Please! I started cleaning out the attic—"

"Hmph! Well it's about dam time you cleaned something around this pigsty! What then? Overcome by exhaustion climbing up the ladder?"

"No! I was going through a box of things I brought over from my parent's house and I found a book…" her voice trailed off as she realized exactly how lame the excuse sounded.

The man released his stranglehold on her and sneered, "What book?"

"It's there," she pointed a quivering hand to the red book sitting on the kitchen table.

"This?" He asked, picking it up. She nodded. "So what's it about then? A thousand and one ways to ensure your husband beats the living shit out of you?"

"No, it's—"

"What then?"

"It's about goblins!" She cried out quickly, hoping that by saying the dreaded words fast she could divert some of his anger. It didn't work.

"Goblins?" He repeated, in much the same tone that someone would say, 'I've just stepped in a pile of dog shit up to my ankle.'

"Yes, goblins."

"What about goblins?" He demanded.

"It's…it's about a little girl who wishes away her baby brother, and then fights her way through a labyrinth full of traps to battle the Goblin King to get him back."

"That's _it_?" He roared. "You spent the entire day reading that _trash_?"

"But I—"

"But nothing, you good for nothing fucking little bitch of a slut! I slave away all day to bring home enough money to support us, and _this_ is the thanks I get?" He seized her by the hair and hissed menacingly into her ear, "I'm fucking sick of it!"

He began hitting her about the face and head. With every blow, the woman became more and more frightened that would actually kill her this time. He had hit her before but…not like this.

He delivered a particularly harsh blow to her temple, and she fell to the ground, bleeding and crying. He stood over her, fuming dangerously.

"I've given up my fucking _dreams _for you!"

A barn owl fluttered outside the window, and landed on the branch of tree. Neither person noticed it.

"All I asked of you was that you have some fucking semi-decent food ready to eat when I came home, and you couldn't even do that! You can't fucking do _anything!_ All you've done is read some stupid ass book about goblins! Fuck you, little girl! I'm sick of this! I'm sick of sacrificing, I'm sick of working my ass off every God damned day of my life, and most of all, I'm sick of you!" He emphasized the point by kicking her in the ribs as hard as he could.

The owl ruffled it's feathers and hooted.

"I wish I had just left you when I had the chance! I wish we had never gone through with that fucking wedding! I wish we had never started this fucking life together, if all you're going to do all day is sit around and read about stupid, fucking, imaginary goblins!"

He kicked her again, and then stood above her, not moving. She wanted to run away, but it hurt to move. She wanted to cry, but it hurt to breathe. All she could do was slowly and painfully look up into the man's stormy eyes. He glared down at her, and spoke.

"I wish the fucking Goblin King would come and take _you _away. Right now."

And then all hell broke loose.

* * *

Author's Note: Ta-da! Well, what did you all think? This is my first fic for the Labyrinth fandom, so please please please PLEASE tell me if you liked it! I live for reviews! 


	2. Chapter 2

**DISCLAIMER!!! **

Still not mine! .:pouts:. But don't worry my precious, I'll find a way...

**Jareth: **Uh...right... .:runs away and hides from the crazy lady:.

* * *

**CHAPTER 2**

For the first time, the two people in the kitchen noticed the owl, and that was only because the bird had started attacking the window. Almost as if…

"It's trying to get in," the woman whispered. In the back of her mind, memories stirred. Memories that she had suppressed for the last ten years all came bubbling back to her...

_You're him, aren't you? You're the Goblin King. I want my brother back, please, if it's all the same._

_What's said is said._

_But I didn't mean it!_

_Oh, you didn't?_

_Please…where is he?_

_You know very well where he is._

_Please bring him back. Please._

_Sarah…_

"FUCKING BIRD!"

Startled, the woman—Sarah—came out of her reverie and looked around at the strange scene that surrounded her. Her husband was cursing at the top of his lungs, trying to swat at the beautiful barn owl fluttering around the kitchen. Said owl merely swooped and flew over his head, landing on the floor in front of the window through which it had come. Seconds later, a very odd looking man (or at least, man shaped creature) stood before the husband and wife and folded his arms, looking critically at them both.

"Bloody fucking hell!" The husband roared. "And who the fuck do you think _you_ are, faggot?" The second man merely smiled and took a step towards him.

"My name is Jareth. I am the Goblin King."

Sarah had expected her husband to fly into a rage at that, and go screaming around the room attempting to kill them both. However, he didn't. Instead, he was absolutely silent. One could've heard a pin drop in the kitchen from across the small house. The husband opened and closed his mouth, looking like a fish out of water. He stared first at Sarah, then at the self-proclaimed King of Goblins. Finally, he found his voice.

"Is this some kind of fucking joke? Because if it is, I sure as hell ain't laughing."

"This is no laughing matter," said Jareth. "I am here for one reason and one reason only."

"And what might that be?" Snarled Sarah's husband, looking murderous.

"To make you an offer, Tom."

Sarah's husband stopped. "How the fuck do you know my name?"

"I know all that I need to know."

Another few seconds of silence passed.

"What kind of offer?" Tom asked cautiously, apparently having forgotten about his oath to beat the living shit out of his wife.

Jareth smiled evilly. "You have made a wish. You wished that I would come and take your wife away from you, out of your life. My offer is this: You may come to my kingdom and run my Labyrinth to save her, or…" his voice trailed off as he rolled his wrist and revealed a crystal sitting on his finger tips.

"Or what?" Tom demanded, glancing at his wife for the first time since Jareth had entered the room.

"Or you may take this," Jareth said, holding out the crystal.

"What is it?"

"It is the very thing that you claim you wish you had never lost when you took Sarah to be your wife. It is your dreams."

Tom stared at the crystal as Jareth played with it, absentmindedly rolling around his hands in an almost hypnotic way. Tom blinked, looked at Sarah, then at the crystal, then back at Sarah, then up at Jareth. He reached out, and pulled it from the other man's grasp.

Jareth grinned, and an instant later, Tom was alone his kitchen.

Jareth lost his smile the instant he and Sarah were out of the kitchen and back in the Goblin Castle. She was still on the ground, in the same terrified position she had been in while her husband was beating her. It worried him. This was not the Sarah that had fought so hard to make it past his Labyrinth a mere ten years ago. He knelt down next to her, and she winced.

"Sarah. Listen to me." She looked up at him with terror in her eyes. "Do you remember me?" He didn't know where the question had come form. He had intended to ask her if she was all right, but it suddenly seemed that being whisked away to the Underground by the self proclaimed King of Goblins after being beaten mercilessly might have affected her mind in an adverse way. "Do you remember me?" He repeated.

Slowly, she looked around at the deserted throne room and back up at him. After what seemed like an eternity, she nodded.

"And do you remember this place? Do you know where you are?" Nod.

"Do you understand why you're here?" Nod.

Jareth nodded as well. "Good. You'll be safe here."

He stood up and offered her a hand, causing her to wince again. _Poor girl,_ he thought as he gently pulled her to her feet. _She's been hit so many times that she can't expect any other form of physical contact. Such a pity._ A second later, he had transported them both to another part of the castle, a part that Sarah hadn't seen on her last visit to the place.

Jareth opened a door and held it for her, motioning her inside. "This will be your room," he said simply. He led her to the large and comfortable looking bed. "Get some sleep, I'll send someone to check up on you in the morning." Sarah nodded again, and Jareth turned to go out of the room.

"Goblin King?" Sarah said, suddenly. He was surprised; she hadn't spoken to him at all since he appeared in her kitchen…not that he had expected her to, after what she'd gone through. He turned back to her nonetheless, hiding his surprise.

"Yes, my dear?"

Sarah hesitated and then blurted out, "You're not going to turn me into a goblin, are you?"

Jareth grinned evilly. "Would you like me to?"

"No!"

"Then I won't…yet." With that, he left the room and disappeared, leaving Sarah to wonder whether she should be relieved and comforted or worried and careful.

Giving the room a last glance, she crawled into the bed and fell asleep without even bothering to undress.

* * *

Well, that's it for chapter 2... You know what would be really neat? If I had about ten emails in my inbox that say "Review Alert" on them... .:hint hint:. ;-) 

**Jareth:** .:rolls eyes:. Try being a little more obvious, I don't think they'll be able to figure it out.

**Sarah: **Yeah, really. Next time say something like, "I'm holding Jareth and Sarah hostage until I get at least ten reviews."

**TXReaper:** You think that would work?

**Sarah: **.:nods:. definitely

**Jareth: **.:Smacks forehead:. Now look what you've done...you've created a monster!


	3. Chapter 3

**DISCLAIMER **

Roslyn is mine. The rest aren't, I just like to mess with them. **  
**

**CHAPTER 3**

Sarah awoke early the next morning, as usual. For a few confusing moments, she didn't remember where she was or the events of the night before. After one glance out the window that gave a spectacular view of the Labyrinth, everything fell back into place. She groaned when she realized that she was in the Goblin King's castle once again.

_At least this time I don't have to worry about rescuing Toby, _she thought. _The only person I have to worry about is myself…and the Goblin King, of course. I definitely have to watch out for him. _She mentally shook herself and slid out of bed.

It was only then that she realized she was in the dirty, wrinkled clothes she had been wearing the day before. She wrinkled her nose in slight disgust and wondered what she was supposed to do about them. No sooner had the thought crossed her mind, than the door opened and a girl who looked to be no older than Sarah herself bustled in.

She swept through the room, tidying up as though on autopilot. Sarah stood awkwardly by the bed, not knowing what to say, or even if she should say anything at all. It wasn't until the other girl nearly ran into her on her way to make the bed that she realized Sarah was there.

"Oh! I'm so sorry, milady! I thought you'd gone out already!"

"Uh, actually I just got up," said Sarah, feeling slightly confused. "I was just wondering if I might freshen up a bit, actually…" Her voice trailed off uncertainly.

"But of course madam! Right this way!" She bustled off again to the other end of the room. Sarah suddenly noticed how large the room was; much larger than her room Aboveground, almost as big as her whole house.

"Here we are!" The girl—who Sarah assumed was a maid or servant or something—stepped through a door and held it for Sarah. She found herself in yet another huge room, this one a bathroom. It wasn't nearly as big as the bedroom, but it was absolutely gigantic by bathroom standards. The tub alone was at least as big as a small swimming pool. Sarah felt she could've done laps in it.

She must have been staring. "You like it, eh?" Said the maid with a knowing grin. "That's the tub, obviously. Towels are in this cupboard, soap, shampoo, and all that stuff is over here. These other drawers and cabinets are all yours, you can put whatever girlie stuff you have in 'em. Any questions?"

Sarah was slightly dazed by all this because the maid was talking rather fast. "Uh…no. Wait! Yes, I have one question."

"Yes?"

"What's your name?" To Sarah's immense surprise, the maid blushed.

"My name is Roslyn, my lady, however it is unlikely that you will see me again. I'm only filling in today for the guest chamber maid."

"Oh. Well, what is it that you normally do then?"

"I'm a servant. I am one of the few that has direct contact with His Majesty," she said as her blush deepened.

"What kind of contact?" Sarah was curious.

"I prepare meals, clean his chambers, find papers he's misplaced…that sort of thing," Roslyn said with a dismissive wave of the hand.

"Do you see him often?"

The servant raised an eyebrow. "Why so curious?"

Now it was Sarah's turn to blush. "I just am."

"Well, I see him at least once or twice a day personally, and up to a dozen or so times if I'm helping out elsewhere in the castle."

"Oh."

"Was there anything else I could do for you, my lady?"

Sarah shook her head. "Not that I can think of."

"Well then you'd best get cleaned up. When you're finished, I'll have clean clothes laid out for you, and I'll take you to the dining room. His Majesty requests your presence at breakfast."

"Alright…wait, what? Why does he want to see me?"

Roslyn grinned broadly and said, "I believe he's taken a special interest in you, if you know what I mean."

Sarah stared at her blankly. "No, I don't."

Roslyn rolled her eyes. "He likes you. And I mean he _like _likes you." When Sarah still only gave her a dull gaze, she rolled her eyes and added, "Just trust me. His Majesty doesn't take a personal interest in very many things, but when he does, I can tell."

"Okay," said Sarah uncertainly.

Roslyn nodded and turned to leave. Just as she reached the door, she turned back and said, "Oh, when you're ready to go, just touch this crystal and I'll be here right away." She rolled her wrist and a crystal similar to the kind that the Goblin King seemed to pull out of thin air appeared. She set it on a small table and left.

Sarah looked at the crystal for a few moments, then quickly undressed and sank into the bath. It was absolutely _amazing_. The hot water relaxed her immediately. After soaking in the water for several minutes, she sat up and scrubbed herself clean. Dirt and sweat clung to her from her attempt at cleaning the attic the day before.

When she turned her attention to her face, she winced slightly. It was obvious that she had some serious bruising, and when she rinsed the sore spots she noticed flakes of dried blood coming away with the water. She scowled at them and mentally cursed her husband.

When she finally felt clean enough, she got out and wrapped a huge fluffy towel around herself and went back into the bedroom. As promised, a clean outfit was laid out for her: A pair of comfortable, loose fitting jeans, a cute cotton t-shirt, clean underclothing and socks, and tennis shoes.

Sarah dressed quickly and looked around the room. It seemed that Roslyn had finished tidying before she left, because the bed was made, the floor cleaned and the windows opened to let in the fresh air. Sarah briefly wondered what she was supposed to do now before she remembered the crystal. Walking over to it, she uncertainly extended a finger and poked it.

"Ready to go?"

Sarah gave a short scream and stumbled sideways, for Roslyn had just—just—_appeared_ next to her. She was completely unprepared for it. She nodded, too busy trying to slow her racing heartbeat to say anything.

Roslyn let out a small giggle. "Well let's go then!"

Fifteen minutes of seemingly just wandering around the castle later, and Roslyn, with Sarah in tow, stopped outside a carved wooden door.

"Wait here for just a moment, I'll make sure he's not being attacked by goblins or something."

Sarah blinked and stifled a laugh at the image that popped into her head. Roslyn motioned her inside.

"Your Majesty, the Lady Sarah Williams has arrived."

Sarah entered the room, suddenly nervous at what awaited her.

The Goblin King stood next to the table that was in the room and nodded. "Thank you Roslyn, you may go."

The servant gave a quick bow to him and left the room. When the door had shut behind her, the Goblin King gave Sarah a small—_and slightly disturbing_ thought Sarah—smile.

"Sarah, do have a seat," he said, and with a wave of his hand, one of the chairs obediently backed away from the table and stood waiting almost expectantly for her to sit. She did, and looked at him. He still had that smile on his face.

_Dear Lord, what have I gotten myself into?_ Sarah asked herself. _I don't know anything about how you're supposed to act around royalty! What if I screw up and he throws me in the oubliette again?_ _Or worse, _she barely suppressed a shudder_, the Bog of Eternal Stench._

As all of this ran through her mind, the Goblin King took his own seat and various servants stepped forward and served he and Sarah their food.

_Dear Lord, what have I gotten myself into?_ The Goblin King wondered. _I don't know how she and I can co-exist after everything that she's been through. I suppose if she gets truly unbearable I could put her in an oubliette. Or even better,_ he hid a small grin, _the Bog of Eternal Stench._

This was certainly going to be an interesting breakfast.

* * *

Wow, this chapter was REALLY long and practically nothing happened! Sorry! I want to take this opportunity to thank all the people that have reviewed so far!

MariaGonzales: Thanks for your support, and I can't wait to see it either.

Darklady26: Thanks for reviewing both chapters 1 & 2, but I think I did scare Jareth off...notice how he practically wasn't in this one?

Ladystrider77: Thanks for the review, and I hope I'm able to stand out as well.

Katy16: Thanks for the review, we'll just see how long it takes for Jareth to throw her into an oubliette ;-)

Phoenixkid: Thanks for the review...don't stab me with that sword or I can't write anything more.

Princess1980: Thank you for reviewing, and I'll keep 'em coming as long as I keep getting reviews .:hint hint:.

**Jareth: **Here we go again

**TXReaper:** Hey shut up! I'm trying to thank everybody for reviewing, stupid goblin-face!

**Jareth**: .:pouts:. Am not!

**TXReaper: **Moving on... I also want to thank my friend Becky for helping me think of names and for reading the story so far. She couldn't leave a review because her computer sucks because it's not a Mac (lol) but it's the thought that counts.

**Jareth: **If it's the thought that counts, why are you begging people for reviews?

**TXReaper: **Because! That way I know people are reading it, duh! Go back to your cave!

**Jareth:** Technically, it's an oubliette...ouch! .:gets hit over the head with a paper fan:. Alright, I'm going!


End file.
